Ark. Rep. Womack joins online sales tax call

A Dec. 5 event is planned in Washington to rally support for the so-called Marketplace Fairness Act, which is backed by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Associated Press

GOP congressman Steve Womack is backing a law that would allow states to levy sales tax on online and catalog purchases.

A Dec. 5 event is planned in Washington to rally support for the so-called Marketplace Fairness Act, which is backed by the National Conference of State Legislatures. Womack is scheduled to speak along with Sen. Mike Enzi of Wyoming, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, Rep. Jackie Speier of California and Rep. Peter Welch of Vermont.

All five are sponsors of the bill, which would allow states to require online and catalog retailers to collect and pay sales taxes.

The NCSL says states are expected to lose more than $23 billion in taxes this year on Internet and catalog sales as opposed to taxes collected by "brick-and-mortar" businesses.